Crime Stoppers

Contact Crime Stoppers Today! (828) 255-5050

Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers is a program separate from the emergency telephone number system that allows a member of the community to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. The program allows a person to provide crime solving assistance to the authorities without being directly involved in the investigation process. That person could also be eligible for a reward if the reported information results in an arrest. Crime Stopper programs are operated in many communities worldwide.

Buncombe Crime Stoppers is a success thanks to the help of citizens, local news media and BCTV2. The "Mountains Most Wanted," showing pictures and physical descriptions of suspects has helped us locate wanted individuals and make successful crime arrests.

How does this program work?

The first step begins when a concerned citizen makes an anonymous telephone call to Crime Stoppers by calling (828) 255-5050. The coordinator or Communications takes the information offered, and gets the individual's date of birth.

Information obtained by the Crime Stoppers coordinator will be forwarded to the appropriate agency and division.

The board will vote on the dollar amount to be awarded to the anonymous person when an arrest has been made based on the caller's tips.

When the caller contacts Crime Stoppers to check on the status of his/her file, the coordinator will inform him/her of the arrest and the reward money. The coordinator will get a physical description of the caller and will give him/her a receipt number to use to receive the cash money. A time and place to meet a board member will be set up.

The caller and board member will meet in the designated place, and the caller will have to write their receipt number on the paper, and will receive his/her cash reward.

Crime Stoppers is an important way for Buncombe County to get involved with keeping the community safe and crime free. Tips from anonymous callers are invaluable for law enforcement officials to find and apprehend suspects.